Professor Parenting, a.k.a. Brandi Stupica, blogs about the ways in which her knowledge of how to raise healthy, well-adjusted kids collides with actually trying to do it.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Your Kids Can Get Free Books: Here’s How

A terrific neighbor of mine (Thanks, Shannon!) recently told
me that Frankie could get free books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
All you have to do is sign your kid up and you get a free book every month from
birth until your kid turns 5. It’s a
little tricky to figure out how exactly to get the free books because every
area has a different protcol, so I did the research on how to get your free
books in a lot of the areas that I have Facebook and IRL friends. I have to
admit, however, that in my quest to get you free books, I quickly became
disheartened because there are a lot of areas that don’t have the program.
Below is a list of places that I looked up with links to get you hooked up or
information to get you your swag. I also have information on how to find out
for yourself if your area has the program. The list is organized by state, then
within state, by county/city/area.

OHIOIn Ashtabula County, Ohio parents can sign up at any Public
Library in Ashtabula County including: Andover Public Library, Ashtabula County
District Library, Conneaut Public Library, Geneva Public Library, Grand Valley
Public Library, Harbor-Topky Memorial Library, Henderson Memorial Public
Library, Kingsville Public Library and Rock Creek Public Library.

In Delaware County Ohio, the United
Way of Delaware County runs the program but they charge $25. I don’t know
what the eff that’s all about. I emailed about how to get a scholarship. I have
received no reply. I’m disappointed that Delaware County is not offering free
books and doesn’t seem to want to tell people how to get a scholarship for free
books. Fill out the form online
if you want to participate in the equivalent of a $25 a year surprise book
club.

In Erie County, Ohio, the program is run by the Erie County
Community Foundation. I emailed the contact person who informed me that application
forms are available at the Sandusky Library
Children's desk. You can fill it out there and give it to the person at
the desk.

In Knox County, Ohio, they are in the process of putting the
registration form on their website, but in the meantime, you can register by register
by contacting United Way of Knox County either by phone 740-397-5721 or by
email at liveunited@uwayknox.org.

In Toledo, Ohio the Women's Initiative
of United Way of Greater Toledo handles registration online.

Union County, Ohio: I emailed Union County, Ohio because the
online registration link was broken. I got it fixed, so you’re welcome, because
now you can register online.
They also sent me a PDF of the form,
so you can register via snail mail as well.

West Columbus Suburbs and Jackson,
Ohio: Easter Seals Central and Southeast Ohio currently serves families living
in the following zip codes: 43228, 43026, and 45640, which is basically
Hilliard and Jackson (Other than this sentence, I won’t comment on how weird it
is that Hilliard and a place that is almost in West Virginia have teamed up on
this). I emailed them because their website said to in order to register, which
led to me getting you access to the online
form.

SOUTH CAROLINAIn Spartanburg County, South Carolina you just register online
on the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library website.

If I didn’t list your area, don’t worry, it doesn’t mean I
don’t love you and your kids. It just means I got tired of looking up how to
get free books or you didn’t reply to my request on Facebook for your county.
There are two ways to figure out if your area has an Imagination Library
Program. First, go to the Register My Child link on the Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library webpage and follow the directions. If your area is
available you’ll have two options: Register online or register through your
area’s liaison. If you have to register through your area’s liaison, you’ll
have to Google and go to the website of the organization that handles your
area’s Imagination Library. There’s sometimes a Dolly Parton’s Imagination
Library icon on the page, which you click on, or the information is hidden
under the organizations initiatives or programs tab on the webpage.

I have some sad news, though. Another reason I may not have
listed your area is because your area doesn’t have a program. For example,
Franklin and Licking Counties in Ohio don’t have program. It’s basically non-existent
in the greater Cleveland area. Lots of counties in Maryland don’t have the
program, like Anne Arundel, MoCo, Howard, and PG. Virginia is also sparse (Arlington,
Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties don’t have programs). DC is weird
with only DC Cluster 29 (centered in Bethesda) and Ketchum Elementary having
programs. Greater LA is also dead with programs only in Santa
Barbara and Temecula (though good luck registering in Temecula because the
contact person’s email address isn’t correct or doesn’t exist). South Carolina
was weird too because if you live in Greer, you can get books if you live in
Spartanburg County, but not if you live in Greenville County.

I guess one way around this unavailability issue is to
register your child with a relative who lives in an area with a program, but that
would be a total Slytherin
move and I would NEVER suggest doing something like that. Get my drift?

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About Me

I earned my Ph.D. in 2012 at the University of Maryland in Developmental Psychology. Since then, I've become an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Alma College and a mom. I started blogging to share how I balance both my knowledge of what helps kids develop best with my limitations of being a human on the front line of motherhood.